The invention relates to an integrated circuit (IC) configuration that generates a reference voltage that is substantially constant regardless of temperature and supply current variations. The function is similar to that of the well-known zener diode. However, zener diodes have undesirably large temperature coefficients, are limited in voltages available in IC construction. They also generate undesirably large noise voltages, particularly in the vicinity of the voltage-current characteristic knee. In recent years, IC configurations have been developed that provide performance considerably superior to conventional IC zener diodes. Concurrently, superior zener diodes, such as the well known subsurface zeners, have been developed so that still better IC designs are needed.